Shahenshah Bawa

Shahenshah Bawa, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

105,042 items / 681,397 views

Fakhruddin Shah Baba is a smaller dargah at Mahim, but has a huge number of devotees, and among the kids of Mahim Baba Fakhr as they fondly call him is their patron saint.

Those who visit Makhdoom Shah Baba have to come here to pay their respects to Baba Fakhr.

Across the Dargah on the pavement ahead are rafaees selling gemstones , herbal medicines and aphrodisiacs.. even the older masseurs do brisk business , families live on this pavement as is reaches out towards the end where the Food Gully of Mahim begins..

This year I did not shoot the Mahim Mela nor the Holy Shrine of Khwajah Khizar in the water at Mahim beach.

Actually I must confess last but not the least I would have loved having Dr Glenn Losack MD shoot this , all this is way up his alley, and he loves shooting the same stuff I shoot except Hijras.

He shoots hijras just to make me happy.


Glenn had shot Shahenshah baba at Haji Malang on his last trip..

Shahenshah Bawa

Shahenshah Bawa, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

105,033 items / 681,386 views

Shahenshah Bawa belongs to a family of rafaees and is proud of his ancestry, but he is a post shot from becoming a murshad, at the moment he is a kotwal, he raises the cry of the rafaees during prayer time.

Shahenshah baba is my protective shield against my detractors, and there are some who dont like me as a photographer , for making their rites their rituals their smoking chillum spree public.

But the rest of the rafaees have no issue, I give them respect I get respect.
I eat with them,I also pay for the milk that is bought for making the tea.
And sadly now I wont be seeing them for some time unless I go to the Holy Shrine of Chancawalli at Andheri East where they live if they are not Urus hopping.

Chancawalli or Shansawali is an impressive Dargah , one must visit, I have been there twice in all these years.

These Bawas used to got to the Dargah of Ismail Shah Baba at Parel but they dont go there anymore after late Sikandar Walis death.

Ismail Shah Baba Dargah has three shrines in the complex and is a huge one and very impressive too.

I have not been to the Siddi Saints Dargah at Imamwada I shall one of these days with my Mumbai Siddi friend Altaf Siddi.
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Shahenshah Bawa Shahenshah Bawa belongs to a family of rafaees and is proud of his ancestry, but he is a post shot from becoming a murshad, at the moment he is a kotwal, he raises the cry of the rafaees during prayer time. Shahenshah baba is my protective shield against my detractors, and there are some who dont like me as a photographer , for making their rites their rituals their smoking chillum spree public. But the rest of the rafaees have no issue, I give them respect I get respect. I eat with them,I also pay for the milk that is bought for making the tea. And sadly now I wont be seeing them for some time unless I go to the Holy Shrine of Chancawalli at Andheri East where they live if they are not Urus hopping. Chancawalli or Shansawali is an impressive Dargah , one must visit, I have been there twice in all these years. These Bawas used to got to the Dargah of Ismail Shah Baba at Parel but they dont go there anymore after late Sikandar Walis death. Ismail Shah Baba Dargah has three shrines in the complex and is a huge one and very impressive too. I have not been to the Siddi Saints Dargah at Imamwada I shall one of these days with my Mumbai Siddi friend Altaf Siddi.

Doing The Kaif On The Mean Streets of Mahim

Doing The Kaif On The Mean Streets of Mahim, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

104,996 items / 681,284 views

I had given my camera to Sakibs cousin, who is a fan of my Flickr photo stream, and instructed him to shoot my pictures as is where is.
Sometimes you dont need to be a photographer to shoot pictures what comes is captured by the third eye of Shiva an eye always open never asleep..

He shot a few frames and than gave the camera back to me.


Bach home Marziya has no begun shooting with my camera Nikon D80 in earnest earlier I assisted her with pressing the trigger button but now she does it herself.

She checks the monitor to see what she shot..and I told my wife she will be one up on me surely.

The Blogger Rafaee of Bandra

The Blogger Rafaee of Bandra, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

104,917 items / 680,515 views

After he had done his rafaee act on my body he handed the sword to me , but the most amazing rafaee acts are in this set, Chalak Ali removing his eye ball from his socket, Shahenshah baba nailed his cheek to a stool and did the kaif...

The Shia Rafaee at The Sandal of Fakhruddin Shah Baba

The Shia Rafaee at The Sandal of Fakhruddin Shah Baba, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

104,916 items / 680,497 views

I have kept my pictures of Makhdoom Shah Baba Urus on hold to post the body piercing feats of the Chancawalli Rafaees , I was held up at Chembur for over two hours and just made it in time for the procession that began from Fakhruddin Shah Babas Holy Shrine ..this is one sandal I try not to miss , I get to shoot the most amazing body piercing shots.
But I did not know I would be a part of one, I had given my camera to a guy to shoot my picture with this crazy bawa , I did not realize that he took the sword and began cutting my stomach, I did not wince I am used to the blade of the sword..as Shia.

I shot a lot of stuff , did the kaif to Bhar De Jholi Meri Ya Mohomed Ghar Se Jaunga Tere Na Khali..

But I left the sandal soon after I don follow it completely till its return journey I had to rush home as I have not been keeping well since last two days..